Homemade Crunchwraps

I have a confession to make. I like eating healthy, and try to get as many fruit and vegetables as possible into my diet, but I also love eating at Taco Bell, even if I try not to think too hard about what's actually in the food. So, the last time I had a craving, I figured that anything they could make, I could make, and decided to try my hand at one of my favorite treats from the Bell - crunchwraps!

Nice and toasty

It may take a little practice to get them crisp, but even if your early efforts don't come out as perfectly-looking as Taco Bell's, don't worry, they'll still taste delicious! My brother swears they're even better than the store-bought ones, and he's a hardcore Bell aficionado, so I'm trusting his judgment.

Recipe:

Large/extra large flour tortillas

Ground beef (I used a package that had slightly less than 2 lbs, and ended up with 10 crunchwraps)

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

Olive oil

Seasoning to taste: paprika, cumin, oregano, basil, chili powder, taco seasoning, etc.

Spreadable cheese (like Tostito's Cheesy Dip)

Hard taco shells

Sour cream

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Tomato, diced

1. On high heat, add olive oil to a large frying pan and cook the pepper and onion until onion is translucent.

2. Add the ground beef and seasonings and brown. Transfer the meat to a bowl and clean the frying pan (you're going to use this for the crunchwraps now.)

3. Turn the burner down to medium.

4. On a tortilla, spread some cheese in the center, in about a 3 inch circle.

5. Place some of the ground beef right on the cheese.

6. Take a hard taco shell, break it in half so that you have two half-circles, and place the sides together on top of the beef, flat sides touching, so that you have a circle.

7. Spread sour cream on the taco shells.

8. Add romaine lettuce and then tomatoes.

9. Fold the sides of the tortilla around the filling. Don't worry, there will be open space in the middle.

10. Spray just a little cooking spray on the pan and place the crunchwrap on the pan, open side down (be careful not to overspray, as your crunchwraps will turn out more soggy and not as crisp and brown).

11. Press down with a plate/spatula, and let crunchwrap cook for about 3-4 minutes. You can carefully pull up a side with the spatula and check to see if it's browning.

12. Flip over and do the same to the other side. Done!